wpa-superstar-plugin/DEVELOPMENT.md

WP Allstars Plugin Development Workflow

This document outlines the development workflow for the WP Allstars Plugin to ensure stable and reliable feature implementation.

Development Principles

1. Stability First: The primary goal is maintaining a stable plugin that works reliably
2. Incremental Changes: Implement changes in small, manageable increments
3. Complete Testing: Every change must be thoroughly tested before integration
4. Documentation: All features and changes must be well-documented

Branch Structure

• main - Production-ready code, always stable
• v0.2.3-stable - Our current stable development branch
• feature/v0.2.3-stable/{feature-name} - Feature branches for new development

Development Workflow

1. Feature Planning

1. Identify a feature from the ROADMAP.md file to implement
2. Review any existing implementation in unstable versions
3. Document the implementation plan in ROADMAP.md
4. Create a new feature branch from the stable base

git checkout v0.2.3-stable
git checkout -b feature/v0.2.3-stable/sync-guard

2. Feature Implementation

1. Start with the smallest possible functional change

2. Commit frequently with descriptive commit messages including stability classification

3. Example commit message format:

   [EXPERIMENTAL] Add basic sync guard detection functionality
   
   - Adds file existence check for .syncing flag
   - Implements conditional loading based on flag
   - Does not yet handle admin notices
   

4. Reference the ROADMAP.md and TESTING.md documents while implementing

3. Testing

1. Complete all relevant tests from TESTING.md
2. Add feature-specific tests if needed
3. Test in a clean WordPress environment
4. Test with WP_DEBUG enabled
5. Document any issues found and fix them

4. Code Review

1. Self-review code for:

   • PHP best practices
   • WordPress coding standards
   • Security considerations
   • Performance implications
   • Error handling

2. Consider peer review if possible

5. Integration

1. Create a pull request to merge into the stable branch
2. Summarize changes, testing performed, and any caveats
3. Once approved, merge using --no-ff to preserve feature history

git checkout v0.2.3-stable
git merge --no-ff feature/v0.2.3-stable/sync-guard

4. Tag new version if appropriate:

git tag v0.2.3.1-stable
git push origin v0.2.3.1-stable

5. Update STABILITY.md with the new version information

6. Post-Integration

1. Deploy to test environment and confirm functionality
2. Update ROADMAP.md to reflect the implemented feature
3. Clean up feature branch if no longer needed

Handling Unstable Code References

When examining code from unstable versions:

1. Never copy-paste directly - Understand the approach and reimplement
2. Isolate problematic code - Identify why it might have failed
3. Take the best ideas - Implement the concept, not the exact implementation
4. Document the reference - Note which version inspired each implementation

Versioning Scheme

• vX.Y.Z - Major.Minor.Patch
• vX.Y.Z-stable - Stable development branches
• vX.Y.Z.N-stable - Minor updates to stable branches

Continuous Improvement

• Regularly review and update these development procedures
• Document lessons learned
• Improve testing procedures based on discoveries